The aim of the project is to incorporate ionic channels in lipid bilayers and to study their properties - particularly their electrical properties. In particular, we have studied hemocyanin channels and EIM (excitability-inducing material of bacterial origin) channels. Both of these channels exhibit negative resistance with moderate doping concentrations. One long-range objective is to relate this negative-resistance behavior to properties of single channels. We have recently started another program, whose purpose is to incorporate biological channels into lipid bilayers, primarily by membrane fusion. The long-range objectives of this program are to determine single-channel properties of biological channels as well as to learn more about membrane fusion.